Camera shutter tester



g- 8, 1939- J. D. KELLEY 2,168,994

CAMERA SHUTTER TESTER Filed March 20, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l M w 2%;? T I 1 a T2 6 |-T F191. f 1 Z I Jmax l Jfi16) Z] 21' James Dl fgl le y ATTORNEYS Aug. 8, 1939. J. b. KELLEY 2,168,994

CAMERA QHUTTER TESTER Filed March 20, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 James Dlfelley INVENTOR A TTORNE YS the time of closing.

Patented Aug. 8, 1939 UNITED STATES CAMERA SHUTTER TESTER James D. Kelley, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 20,

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for measuring short intervals of time and more particularly to the measuring of the minute time intervals defined by the operation of a camera shutter.

Various methods have been proposed for testing and calibrating camera shutters. It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple method of doing this which will give an immediate and accurate reading.

It is well known that when a camera shutter is operated for taking snapshots, the shutter opens, remains open for a short interval of time, and then closes. The total time consumed includes the time of opening, the time open, and It is a particular object of the invention to provide an. apparatus for accurately measuring the average open time of a camera shutter, that is, the time interval, in which the total amount of light (passed by the shutter in its normal operation) would pass, if the shutter remained fixed at full opening.

A measurement of this type has a very real advantage over measurements which define the total time between the operation of the shutter trigger and the instant at which the shutter becomes again completely closed. The advantage is due to the fact that the exposure suffered by a photographic film, which is, of course the exposure in which one is interested, is approximately proportional to the average open time of the shutter rather than to the total timeelapsed between the initial and final movements of the shutter blades.

According to the invention a method of measuring the average open time of a camera shutter is provided wherein an electric charge is established and stored which is proportional to the total area-time units corresponding to the operation interval (i. e., to the total amount of light transmitted during the interval). 'Also an electric current is established which is similarly proportional to the maximum area of the shutter opening. The ratio of the magnitude of this charge to the magnitude of this current is the average open time of the shutter. It will be noted that the principle of correspondence of mass-length-time units is directly satisfied since the ratio of an electric charge to an electric current has the dimensions of a time.

In one embodiment of the invention which will be described below, the above method includes 1937, Serial No. 132,172,

ratio of the charge to the current (i. e., the.

average open time or the shutter) is equal to the product of the capacity and the resistance. In mass-length-time units, this -product has the dimensions of a time.' I'he adjustment orthe resistance and capacity until the ratio of the potentials is a predetermined --value, 'diiierent from unity would merely introduce thisvalue as a third factor in the capacity resistance product. This embodiment of the invention may include an electric circuit having two photoelectric cells as shown in Fig. 3 adapted to receive light from the same or similar sources, one through the shutter during the interval to be-tested and the other through an aperture ,which. transmits a luminous flux equal to that transmitted by the shutter set at full opening (i. e., .on time" position). Preferably, however. the circuit for the two separate photoelectric cells, is, arranged so that only one cell is requiredas-will -be'described in connection with Figureg2. an electric circuit is provided having a photo-electric cell adapted to receive light transmitted by the shutter being tested and is soarranged that two readings are taken; one when the shutter is operated at the interval tobe determined, and the other when the shutter is fixed open so that a continuous beam of light jails .on the-photoelectric cell. low, the electric constants of the circuit may be As will be described iii-detail beadjusted until the two readings, which are indicative of the potentials mentioned above, are equal; at which time a numerical result may. be computed from these constants which -,is proportional to the ratio between the total light passed by the shutter during the interval being determined and the amount of light passed per unit of time by the shutter. at full opening. It is obvious that this ratio gives directly the average open time of the shutter. slniact, the adjustment mechanism of an instrument including this electric circuit may he proyided with a scale reading directly in units or time. I have found that reasonably accurate readings i -aybe taken according to the inventionv over' a rang from 0.001 second to 1.5 seconds.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from thelfollowing .description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows a graph representing the variation in open area of the shutter :(or the variation in luminous flux transmitted thereby) z. withti lne, measured from the instant when -the shutter trigger is operated.

Fig. 2 shows one embodiment oitheinventlon and the electric circuit used therewith.

fat silences s, grsphicnl representation of shutter area J versus time t during the interval to be tested, say 01 a second. The total time T between the operation of the shutter trigger and the dual closing of the shutter blades (indicated at i and 5. respectively) may be divided into three parts,

the time of opening Tl the time opened T2, and the time of closing The maximum area of the shutter Jmnx, depends, of course, on the diaphragm aperture used therewith. For example, it the camera diaphragm were set at 16 say, the tires. vs. time curve would be as shown onthe graph.

The amount of-light transmitted by the shutrin the interval T is proportional to the t" the curve From the ion given above for average open time TA,

i ous that the ares represented by Ct, oi T}; and Jmcis should be equal to .n-under the curve fl--6-2--3 (l. e., the on the rectangle ii--'l-l-9).

- efficiency of any camera shutter may be canned es the ratio of TA to T. The efficiency of a camera shutter is particularly important photographing moving objects, since the ernount oi blurring in this case is proportional to total time T, whereas the amount of exposure is proportional to the average open time the earners. ddsphregni accompanying the hut ,eclosed down to an nperture of say 116, the average open time TA (163) will be considerably greater than '13s.

Thus the efificiency of a shutter is greater for smaller apertures. In fact, since the sverese open time approaches the total time T as the camera diaphragm is closed, it is possible to obtain a. very close approximation of the emciency of a camera shutter at full opening by taking the mile of the average open time at this opening (TA) to the average open time at very small aperture say .16 (T5116) the invention also provides a convenient method of approximating the efiiclency of a. camshutter.

In 2 a light source comprising a lamp iii projects e. beam of light represented by the broken line M- and made substantially parallel by an out .sl system shown as a lens G2, to e comers.

Til.

r is to be tested or calibrated. By

of a lens ll, this light is directed to a.

lectric or other light sensitive cell ll, accompanying circuit will be discussed in below. As will also be pointed out below,

v be desirable to extend the range of the ill by introducing a. neutral density lb t boom. The neutral density in is on 1.. support it so that it I!l&37 be readily d or .emoved from the light beam.

note-electric cell il and a source of pc- .i th eior ere adapted to be connected rely to two circuits (one including an in dischar e device 26 whose input is shuntthe other including a similar crevice 2% whose input is shuntnce) through s two position switch ions Si and respectively.

'schsrge devices Eli and iii may suitable well-known types, for

reading will be given.

example, trlodes as shown. As will be discussed in detail below, the purpose oi the trlodes 2n and El and the subsequent electric circuits, is merely to determine when the potentials on their grids 2% and it are equal. Other suitable methods of measuring the potentials at these two points or of merely indicating when the potentials are equal may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention. In this connection, the use of electron discharge devices provides the most convenient means of doing this and I have found that it is preferable to employ two balsnced triodes as shown although circuits emplaying only one triode will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

In the particular arrangement shown, the out put of both triocles 20 and 2| includes a source of potential 25, two fixed resistances 21 and 28, a variable resistance 29 and a galvanometer 30. With respect to the triode 20, the output circuit comprises the resistance 21 in parallel with a series circuit including the resistance 28 and the galvanometer 36. Likewise, with respect to the triode ii the output circuit comprises the resistence til in parallel with the galvanometer 3B and the resistance ill in series. The resistances ill and Eli are equal; the purpose of the variable resistance 253 is to compensate for inherent diiierences in the triodes 20 and 2| so that equal powntials on the grids 20' and 2| will equally affect the galvanometer 30 and if these effects are imposed on the gelvanometer simultaneously, a zero As is well known, it may also be desirable to have an adjustable control of the heater current of the triodes.

The operation of the device in accordance with the invention is as follows: The two-position switch ill is closed in its position Si and the shutter it is tripped at the time interval to be determined. During this time a shorting switch 23 across the condenser 22 is left open so that the impulse of current output from the photo-electric cell l'l due to the light falling thereon establishes a charge on the condenser 22 which determines the potential of the grid 20 and, hence, the reading on the galvanometer 3B. The switch I9 is then thrown to the position S2 in a manner so that none of this charge is allowed to leak away, the camera shutter i3 is set at full opening (by using the time exposure position) and the vari must be exercised in performing this operation will be obvious to those skilled in the use of such circuits and need not be discussed in detail here. Obviously, the leakage from the grid 29' must be reduced to a minimum and the second opertion with the switch iii in position S2 must be performed as quickly as possible to prevent the potential on the grid 20' changing sufliciently to afiect the reading.

I have found that errors from this cause may be practically eliminated by arranging the potentials supplied to the triodes 20 and 2! so that the grid 26' is operating near its free potential. The trlode 20 should be of such construction that very little leakage from the grid occurs therein; the condenser 22 should be of a high leakage resistance type, the switch i9 should be of a high leakage resistance type, and the photo-electric cell should have zero dark current so that it will not further affect the grid Eli during the interval beiore the switch iii is moved from position Ell to position 8!. 1 have found that the capacity of the photo-electric cell ll does not introduce any error worthy of consideration.

Fig. 3 illustrates the embodiment wherein separate photocells 31 and 38 are used instead 0! the single cell I! with the two position switch 19 shown in Fig. 2. The light source l0 by means of reflectors 35 and 36, illuminates simultaneously the shutter l3 and an aperture 39 equal to the maximum aperture of the shutter l3 as determined by the diaphragm associated therewith This aperture 33 may be adjusted from this equality to compensate for any difierence in the intensity of the light beams from the reflectors and 36.

One slightly different arrangement shown in Fig. 4 for indicating when the potential charges imposed on the grids 20 and 21' are equal, has the advantage that the response curves of the triodes 20 and 2| need not be identical and is as follows. There is no direct connection between the points SI, 32 and 33. Instead of this an impedance including a variable resistance and a condenser ll in parallel is connected between the point 32 (the cathodes) and the grid 2 l which is grounded. The operation of this arrangement is practically identical to that described above, namely: the circuit is adjusted to give zero current through the galvanometer, the potential on the grid 20' is varied by tripping the shutter with the switch I! in position $1, the switch 19 is moved to position $2, the shutter is fixed open and the variable resistance 24 is changed until the galvanometer 30 again reads zero.

In describing the theory of the electric circuit, the usual symbols are used as follows to describe the factors involved: Q equals the quantity oi. electric charge transmitted by the photo-electric cell 11 during the total time T of the shutter interval being tested. This charge Q is directly proportional to the amount or light falling on the photo-electric,cell Il during this interval T. The capacity of the condenser 22 will be called C and the potential on the grid' 20 as determined by these two factors Q and C will be called E 20.

The current flowing through the photo-electrlc cell 11 when the shutter 13 is left wide open will be called I; the resistance of the variable resistor 24, when the potential on the grid 21' (E 2l) is equal to the potential E 20- as indicated by the galvanometer 30, will be called R. Furthermore, I shall use the letter i to define the electric current flowing at any moment through the photo-electric cell I! during the interval when the charge Q is being established.

Hence, the following two equations hold.

2 j jLt I 1 c,", c 1, c

Where It is a constant of the light source II and the photo-electric cell l1, and J is the shutter area as defined in connection with Fig. 1.

E 21=IR==kJmxR Since R has been varied until 11.20 equals E 21 as indicated by zero reading on the galvanometer 3|,

J....R= J"! t Therefore as previously defined.

Thus we have obtained the average open time 1'1 directly as the product an. hints ti in. mm stant, a scale reading directly in the time hum vals may be mounted on the variable resistor mail.

It a condenser 22 having a capacity oi the order of 0.1 is used and the resistor 24 has a variable resistance R from 0.01 megohm. to 0.15 megohm, a time range from 0.001 to 0.015 second. is available. It the optical system is arranged so that neutral densities having densities 0!. 1 and 2 respectively may be alternately inserted in the light beam at I5 during the first operation (namely, that in which the shutter is tripped), a result is produced which obviously is equivalent to increasing the capacity C by a factor of 10 and respectively. The densities should be neutral throughout the entire part of the spectrum employed. In this manner the time range of the instrument can be extended continuously from .001 second to 1.5 seconds. Other methods of extending the time range such as varying the value of R or C or changing the intensity of the light source itself, may be used but are not as preferable from a commercial point of view and hence have not been described in detail.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the use oi? electric circuits of this type that various details therein may be varied without departing from the spirit ofthe invention. Having fully described one embodiment of the invention, I wish to point out that it is not limited to the specific arrangement shown but is or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim and wish to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A device of the character described for measuring the average open time of a camera shutter having a maximum aperture defining means associated therewith which comprises a.

light source positioned to illuminate the shutter, a photo-cell adapted to receive alternatively the light transmitted by the shutter during one operation and the light continuously transmitted by the shutter fixed open at said maximum aperture, means for alternatively connecting the output of the photocell to two electrical elements one of which is an electrical condenser to receive the output of the photocell corresponding to the light received during the shutter operation whereby a charge is imposed on the condenser,ancl a potential established thereby, the other element being an electrical resistance for receiving the current output corresponding to the luminous flux row Stil

falling on the photo-cell when the shutter is fixed open whereby across the resistance another potential is established, means for adjusting at least one of the electrical elements to bring to a predetermined value the ratio of said potentials and means for indicating the product of the capacity and resistance as adjusted.

2. A device for determining the ratio of a quan said charge, an electric impedance connected to the second mentioned photosensitive means having resistance for passing said current, means for adjusting at least one of said impedances and means connected across the two impedances for opening, photoelectrically receiving the light transmitted through said open shutter and translating said last mentioned light to an electric current similarly proportional to the luminous flux when the shutter is thus set at full opening and noting the ratio of said charge to said current.

4. The method of measuring the average open time of a camera shutter which comprises illuminating the shutter, operating the shutter through one interval opening and closing it, receiving on photoelectric means the light energy transmitted by the shutter, photoelectrically translating said light energy into electrical energy, storing in a circuit including said photoelectric means and having a known capacity, said electrical energy as an electric charge proportional to the total luminous energy transmitted during the shutter operation whereby an electrical potential is established, setting the shutter at maximum opening, receiving on photoelectric means the light energy transmitted by the open shutter, photoelectrically translating said last mentioned light energy into electrical energy, passing said last mentioned electrical energy through a circuit having resistance to produce an electric current similarly proportional to the luminous fiux at full shutter opening, adjusting the resistance to cause a potential difference thereacross equal to the first mentioned potential and noting the product of the magnitudes of said known capacity and said resistance as adjusted. I

5. The method of measuring the average open time of a camera shutter which comprises illuminating the shutter, operating the shutter through one interval opening and closing it, receiving on photoelectric means the light energy transmitted by the shutter, photoelectrically translating said light energy into electrical energy, storing in a circuit including said photoelectric means and having a known capacity,

said electrical energy as an electric charge proportional to the total luminous energy transmitted during the shutter operation whereby an electrical potential is established, setting the shutter at maximum opening, receiving on photoelectric means the light energy transmitted by the open shutter, photoelectrically translating said last mentioned light energy into electrical energy, passing said last mentioned electrical energy through a circuit having resistance to produce an electric current similarly proportional to the luminous flux at full shutter opening, adjusting the resistance to cause a potential difference thereacross which bears a predetermined ratio to the first mentioned potential and noting this ratio times the product of the magnitudes of said known capacity and said resistance as adjusted.

6. A device or the character described for measuring the average open time of a camera shutter having a maximum aperture associated therewith which comprises a light source, photoelectric means adapted to receive from said source light transmitted by the shutter during its operation including opening and closing, photoelectric means of power substantially equal 5 to the first mentioned photoelectric means and adapted to receive from said source light trans mitted by an opening having an area equivalent in light transmission to said maximum aperture and a single electric circuit including a known capacity connected to the first mentioned photoelectric means for storing an electric charge proportional to the amount of light received by this photoelectric means, said single circuit also including a conductor with a known resistance connected to the second mentioned photoelectric means for passing an electric current similarly proportional to the luminous flux through said opening which is equivalent to the maximum aperture, said single electric circuit also including means for determining the ratio of said charge to said current, said ratio determining means including means for comparing the potential on said capacity with the potential across the resistance,'the product of said capacity, said resistance and the ratio of these two latter potentials being the ratio of said charge to said current which latter ratio is said average open time.

'7. A device according to claim 6 having a light filter with a predetermined filter factor positionable in the path of the light incident on said first mentioned photoelectric means to reduce said charge by said predetermined factor, the product of said factor, said capacity, said resistance and said ratio of potentials being said average open time.

8. A device according to claim 6 having a light filter with a predetermined filter factor positionable in the path of the light incident on said 4 second mentioned photoelectric means to reduce said current by said predetermined factor, the product of said ratio of potentials, said capacity and said resistance reduced by said predetermined iactor being said average open time.

9. The method of determining approximately the efllciency of a camera shutter when the diaphragm associated therewith is set at a large relative aperture which comprises illuminating the shutter, setting the shutter open at this large aperture to transmit a luminous flux proportional to the area of this aperture, operating the shutter at this large aperture, through one interval opening and closing it to transmit an amount of light similarly proportional to said area times the average open time 01' the shutter, measuring the ratio of said amount of light to said flux to give the average open time of the shutter at this large aperture, similarly setting the shutter open at a small aperture to transmit a luminous flux proportional to the area of this small aperture, operating the shutter at this small aperture, through one interval opening and closing it to transmit an amount of light similarly proportional to said small ap-. erture area times the average open time of the shutter at this small aperture, measuring the ratio of this latter amount of light to this latter flux to give the average open time of the shutter at this small aperture and taking the ratio of the average open time at large aperture to the average open time at small aperture to give emciency expressed as a fraction.

JAMS D. KELLEY. 

